Tom Abell joins Brisbane Heat for Big Bash

The Somerset captain, who will be making his debut in the competition, replaces county teammate Tom Banton in the Heat squad

Big Bash squads 2021-22: Full BBL 11 player lists

Brisbane Heat have signed Tom Abell for the 2021 Big Bash League.

The Somerset captain, who will be making his debut in the competition, replaces county teammate Tom Banton in the squad after the 22-year-old pulled out of his contract with the Heat in September.

Abell, a batting allrounder, has made 53 career T20 appearances to date, scoring 1277 runs at a strike rate of 144.94 and taking two wickets with his occasional right-arm medium pace bowling.

He has previously earned contracts with Rangpur Rangers (Lanka Premier League) and Lahore Qalandars (Pakistan Super League), as well as representing Birmingham Phoenix in The Hundred.

In 2021, Abell was part of the Somerset side which reached the final of the T20 Blast, scoring 295 runs at a strike rate of 161.20 in six appearances.

^{Abell replaces Tom Banton (above) who played for the Heat in 2019/20}

Commenting on joining the Heat, Abell said: "I cannot wait to get out to Australia and join up with the Heat. I have always been a huge fan of the BBL and there has been a long-standing connection with the Heat and Somerset with the likes of Lewis Gregory, Tom Banton, Craig Kieswetter and Roelof van der Merwe over the years.

"I am really excited by the opportunity, and I am looking forward to getting stuck in and doing my bit for the team."

Brisbane Heat’s head coach, Wade Seccombe, added: "The more we looked at Tom, and the more people we caught up with, the more confident we became that he would fit really well into the Heat.

"Darren [Lehmann] came back from his stint as coach of the Northern Superchargers in The Hundred and he had only good things to report and Stuey Law also recommended him highly as a resilient, talented and hungry player who is also an excellent team man and leader.

"Tom has worked hard to improve his T20 game and has certainly blossomed in the past few seasons. He played hockey at a high level as a youngster and is a bit unorthodox at the crease so he will certainly fill a role for us."

Abell is the third overseas player to sign for the Heat ahead of the 2021 season, joining Ben Duckett and Mujeeb Ur Rahman